Portishead Town 0 Marine 0

Match Report from Pete Crockett

MARINE SHOW THEIR METTLE

There are afternoons when football is not about invention or abandon, but about resolve, organisation and nerve. This was one of them. At a Portishead Town side riding high near the summit, Swindon Supermarine produced a performance rooted in discipline and collective purpose to secure a point that felt far more valuable than its numerical worth.

This was never likely to be a contest for footballing romantics. Portishead, confident and direct, sought to impose themselves early; Marine, arriving on the back of a testing run, were intent on restoring order. The match unfolded as a tactical arm-wrestle, shaped by defensive concentration rather than attacking flourish. Had it gone before a pools panel the home win verdict would have been obvious. Football, though, rarely respects assumptions.

Clear chances were scarce. The first half offered just one effort on target, Jaden Neale drawing a routine save from the Swindonians Luke Purnell, who read the danger early and dealt with it calmly. Marine’s best moment before the interval came from a teasing ball flashed across the face of goal, inches beyond the reach of the advancing Zach Rugman.

The second half brought no loosening of the pattern. Space was at a premium, midfield lines compressed, and most attempts were speculative rather than precise. Marine came closest three minutes after the restart when Conor McDonagh harried Ollie Woodhouse into a collision with his goalkeeper. The loose ball fell invitingly, but from a tight angle the Marine forward could only find the side netting.

Portishead pressed, as promotion chasing sides do, and on the hour Jay Murray looked set to profit from a rare opening, only to be denied by a superbly timed block from Olly Case. Later, with fifteen minutes remaining, Marine produced their most fluid passage of the match: crisp passing, a half clearance, and Max Hemmings arriving on the edge of the area to strike firmly, his effort rising just over the bar.

Late drama arrived in stoppage time when the home team’s Hamish Hurst was dismissed for a second booking. The final whistle brought visible frustration from the home bench and players, but Marine departed with quiet satisfaction. This point was about more than league arithmetic. It was the Marine team proving to themselves that they can go toe to toe with one of the toughest opponents in their division.

Portishead’s approach is direct, physical, unapologetic. Marine matched it. Senior players led, younger ones learned. Resilience, tenacity and character were not abstract concepts here; they were lived, minute by minute.

Selecting a standout performance was no simple task. Luke Purnell was authoritative between the posts, confidently claiming cross after cross in crowded conditions. Sam Turl and Piotr Petrynski excelled in preventing deliveries from behind the defensive line, with Petrynski in particular producing, for my money, his finest display in a Marine shirt.

In the heart of defence, Olly Case and Jamie Edge were outstanding, competing relentlessly in the air against bigger forwards and committing fully to blocks and tackles.

Further forward, Zach Rugman again set the tone with his work rate and use of the ball, while Max Hemmings remained composed under pressure and provided a valuable outlet. Dayo Sonoiki’s contribution was immense: disciplined, industrious, breaking counter attacks, and never abandoning his defensive responsibilities.

Up front, Conor McDonagh and Sid Gbla worked tirelessly, their most valuable contribution coming without the ball as they defended intelligently from the front. The substitutes deserve recognition too; this was no easy tempo match to enter, but Sal Abubakar and Joe Owiti adapted quickly and contributed with purpose.

My Marine player of the match was Tawana Changa. Relentless in the tackle, brimming with energy, driving forward when space allowed and closing down without pause, he embodied the spirit of the performance. He was outstanding on the day in what was an outstanding team effort.

Come on Marine!

Attendance: 438

Manager:	Kye Mountford
Line-up:	Colours: White & Navy
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card	No	Substitute
1.	Jakob Glover [GK]
3.	Aron Robbins
4.	Jamie Adams (c)
5	Hamish Hurst		77’, 91’
6.	Ollie Woodhouse		31’
7.	Jay Murray
16.	Tom Llewellyn
17	Lucas Vowles
18	Jordan Williams			8.	Mitchell Osmond 46’
19.	Jaden Neale			9.	Ethan Feltham 46’
20.	Callum Eastwood			10.	Jack Thorne 75’

Editors Star Man: Ollie Woodhouse
Subs not used: 2. Mason Winter, 13. Joe Ledbury (GK)

Manager:	Bobby Wilkinson
Line-up:	Colours: All Yellow
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card
1	Luke Purnell [GK]
2	Sam Turl
3	Piotr Petrynski
4	Olly Case		59’
5	Jamie Edge
6	Tawana Changa		42’
7	Dayo Sonoiki		78’
8	Max Hemmings (c)
9	Conor McDonagh		54’	16	Sal Abubakar 70’
10	Sid Gbla
11	Zach Rugman			14	Joe Owiti 89’

Editors Star Man: Tawana Changa
Subs not used: 12 Rapha Oppong, 15 George Alston, 17 Josh Blythe